Buying local is good for everyone. It supports our local businesses, growers, artists and artisans. Buying local is also good for the environment because it reduces emissions from long distance transportation. And we all know that local food is fresher and tastier, so the consumers benefit too.

Buying local in Bancroft – where do I start?

The Bancroft Farmers Market is a great place for buying local produce from Victoria Day weekend to the end of October. This daily market is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and is located in the public parking lot on the corner of Flint and Hastings St. Although you can buy a small variety of locally made handcrafted items, this is a true farmer’s market; the focus is food.

The market is now in full swing, with many locally produced crops in season. The Bancroft Farmers Market has a Facebook page that is updated often with news from their vendors and from the market itself. Speaking of vendors, the market has grown to include a number of new vendors in the 2014 season, including wine from Sugar Bush Vineyards in Prince Edward County.

Spearheaded by the Bancroft Business Improvement Area (BBIA), the market serves a purpose other than just providing fresh, locally produced food and handicrafts to the people of Bancroft. It also serves to bring business into the downtown area. It’s just another great reason to come downtown, where there are plenty of other locally owned businesses serving up tasty food or offering unique, quality products and services.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post featuring some of the local vendors you can find at the Bancroft Farmers Market this year.

Do you have a favourite source for buying local in the Bancroft area? Share it with us in the comments and help spread the word about great local businesses in (or near) our beautiful town!